Cardinal James Francis Stafford is a former Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary and Archbishop Emeritus of Denver who has dedicated himself to the causes of ecumenism, marriage, family life, and social justice.

Born on July 26, 1932, in Baltimore, Maryland, Stafford has a long and distinguished career in the Church. The only child of Francis Emmett and Mary Dorothy Stafford, he initially aspired to a career in medicine but shifted his focus to the priesthood following the tragic death of a friend in 1952.

Stafford attended Loyola College in Baltimore and then St. Mary’s Seminary before being sent to the Pontifical North American College in Rome by Archbishop Francis Keough. He was ordained priest on December 15, 1957.

After serving as a parish priest in Baltimore, Stafford pursued further studies at the Catholic University of America, earning a master’s degree in community organization and social work. He also studied at Rutgers University and the University of Wisconsin.

In 1964, he became assistant director and later director of Associated Catholic Charities in Baltimore, where he played a significant role in inner-city programs and reorganizing the archdiocese’s services.

Stafford was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore on February 29, 1976, and served as urban vicar for the city. His tenure in Baltimore included involvement in numerous ecclesial and civic organizations. In 1982, he was named Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, where he opposed racism and advocated for workers’ rights.

In 1986, he became Archbishop of Denver, Colorado, where he organized the first World Youth Day in 1993 during Pope John Paul II’s visit.

In 1996, Stafford was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity by Pope John Paul II and later became Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary in 2003.

He was elevated to cardinal on February 21, 1998. Throughout his career, Stafford focused on issues such as ecumenism, marriage, family life, and social justice. He retired as Major Penitentiary on June 2, 2009.